Apparatus for pyrolysis of solids



June 10, 1969 A. J. GORAND ETAL APPARATUS FOR PYROLYSIS OF SOLIDS SheetFiled April 28, 1967 on. BEARING SAND HOT REGENERATED SAND INLET 24 TOREGENERATOR 53;}

FIG. IB

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INVENTORS ALFRED J. GORAND y ANGELO lyl GIACOMO /TTORNEY June 10, 1969APPARATUS FOR PYROLYSIS Filed April 28, 1967 FLUE GAS OUT FROM REACTOR IFIG. IA J 6| 0 I I f I I 61 OQQ\ 49 S Q 0 O 50 AIR IN 59 TO WASTESTORAGE FIG. IB

A. J. GORAND ETAL OF SOLIDS Sheet 3 of 2 HOPPER l Iz TO HOT SAND INLET 90N REACTOR I FIG. IA

INVENTORS ALFRED J. GORAND BY ANGELO A. DIGIACOMO EMMA? TTORNEY UnitedStates Patent US. Cl. 196120 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Freshparticulate solid material containing volatilizable constituents isphysically mixed with hot particulate solid material at one end of aclosed elongate vessel, the mixture then being moved to the opposite endof the vessel on a flat belt. During the travel through the vessel, therelatively cool fresh material is heated by the hot material and ispyrolyzed to drive off its volatilizable constituents. As a result ofthe pyrolysis, a combustible deposit is left on the pyrolyzed material.The solid material is abstracted from the far end of the vessel and thecombustible deposit is burned off in a separate regenerator, thisburning heating the material to a high temperature. A portion of thislatter material is recycled to the vessel to serve as the hot materialfor the pyrolysis of the fresh incoming material.

The present invention relates to apparatus for the pyrolysis of solidscontaining volatilizable constituents. More particularly, the inventionis concerned with an improved apparatus -for the distillation ofcarbonizable solids such as various oil-bearing minerals including oilsands (tar sands), oil shale, coals, lignite, cellulosic materials, andthe like.

Broadly, the process carried out in the apparatus of the invention issimilar to that disclosed in the prior copending Bennett application,Ser. No. 546,225, filed Apr. 29, 1966. Process-wise, the raw materialsuch as oil sand which is to be treated or processed is heated in aretorting vessel to drive off volatilizable constituents, the evolvedgases escaping from the vessel through a gas collecting system asvaluable gaseous products (vapors).

The apparatus of the present invention, like that of the aforementionedcopending application, utilizes, for the retorting or distillation orpyrolysis, a heat exchange between two solids which are in direct andintimate thermal contact with each other, rather than a heat exchangebetween a solid and a gas. That is to say, the solid raw material whichis to be retorted or distilled or pyrolyzed is heated by directlycontacting the same with a hot solid material.

In accordance with the present invention, the processing (i.e., theretorting or pyrolysis) of the solid material to be treated takes placein an elongate horizontally-disposed vessel which is preferably ofcylindrical configuration. The material to be treated, in traveling fromthe first or entrance end of the vessel to the other or exit endthereof, passes through three zones in succession, first a feed zone,then a mixing zone, and finally a reaction zone. Each zone is defined bya separate horizontally-disposed moving belt which moves lengthwise ofthe container, these belts being arranged vertically with respect toeach other such that the material, in traveling from the entrance end ofthe vessel toward the exit end thereof, drops downwardly off the far endof the feed belt onto the near end of the mixing belt, and then dropsdownwardly off the far end of the mixing belt onto the near end of thereaction belt. Each of the three belts passes over a respective pair ofrollers, and each is driven by a suitable driving means. At the first orentrance end of the vessel,

means is provided for feeding a layer of hot solid material onto thefeed belt, this material being laid down substantially uniformly overthe width of the belt. At this same end of the vessel, means is providedfor feeding a sheet-like stream of relatively cool fresh raw material tobe treated (e.g., tar sand) onto the feed belt and superposed on thelayer of hot solid material previously laid down.

After being deposited on the feed belt, the two different types ofmaterial travel together to the far end of the feed belt, from whencethey drop downwardly onto the mixing belt. The mixing belt functions tocause the two particulate solid materials tobecome intimately mixed witheach other, such that the particles of one material are thoroughly andsubstantially completely dispersed among and between the particles ofthe other material.

The aforesaid mixture of the two materials drops downwardly off the farend of the mixing belt onto the reaction belt, which is considerablylonger than either the mixing belt or the feed belt, and which serves asa (moving) residence platform. Since the admixed and intermixedmaterials are in close, direct physical contact with each other at thetime they reach the reaction belt, they are in intimate thermal contact,and since there is a rather large temperature difference between theparticles of the two types, a heat exchange takes place, the temperatureof the fresh raw material increasing as the materials are moved by thereaction belt through the reaction zone, toward the far or exit end ofthe vessel. Due to the heating, volatilizable constituents are drivenoff from the raw material, the evolved gases escaping from the vesselthrough a gas collecting port as gaseous products (vapors).

By the time the (initially relatively cool) fresh raw material reachesthe exit end of the vessel, it has been heated sufiiciently so that mostof the gaseous constituents have been driven off therefrom, but thisretorting or pyrolyzing process (the driving off, by heat, of thevolatilizable constituents from the fresh raw material) results in theleaving of a combustible (carbon, or coke) deposit on the spentmaterial. All of the solid material which has traveled through thevessel to the exit end thereof, which is to say, both the spent material(which started through the vessel as fresh raw material) and the(originally hot) solid material (which has been used in the vessel as aheat transfer medium), drops off the far end of the reaction belt, andit is then abstracted from the vessel and conveyed to a separateregenerator. In the regenerator, the combustible carbonaceous deposit onthe spent material is burned, by means of air or othercombustionsupporting gas supplied to the regenerator. This burningserves to heat all of the solid material in the regenerator, and aportion of this heated material is taken from the regenerator and fed tothe first or entrance end of the vessel, to serve as the hot solidmaterial which is mixed with the fresh raw material to give up heat tothis latter material, for the pyrolysis, distillation, or retortingpreviously described. In other words, this lastmentioned hot solidmaterial serves as the heat transfer medium.

The remainder of the heated material at the outlet of the regenerator issent to storage (as waste).

A detailed description of the invention follows, taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGS. 1A and 1B together constitute FIG. 1, which is a partlydiagrammatic and partly structural representation of a pyrolysisapparatus according to this invention.

The apparatus of the invention will be described below using oil-bearingsand (often termed tar sand) as an example of the solid material whichcan be processed by the apparatus of the invention. It is noted,however, that apparatus of this type might be used for the distillationor carbonization of other carbonizable materials, and

quite generally for the recovery of volatilizable constituents fromsubdivided solids containing the same.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1A, an elongatefixed vessel 1, which may be thought of as a reactor, is generallycylindrical in shape and is mounted on its side so that its longitudinalaxis extends horizontally, as shown. This vessel is mounted on a fixedbase or support (not shown). Vessel 1 is closed at its ends by means ofsuitable end closures; for convenience in illustration, the end closureat the near or left-hand end of the reactor has been removed.

At the near end of vessel 1, a transversely-extending shaft 2, whoseaxis is located near the top of the cylindrical vessel, is journaled forrotation at its two opposite ends in the cylindrical wall of vessel 1,as by means of bearing assemblies such as 3 (schematically illustrated)which, in addition to their function of rotatably supporting the ends ofthe shaft, act to seal the ends of the shaft 2 through the reactor wall.One end of shaft 2 (for example, the near end in FIG. 1A) may extendoutwardly as at 211 beyond the cylindrical wall of vessel 1, for apurpose which will be explained hereinafter. A cylindrical roller 4, ofrather large diameter, is fixedly secured to shaft 2 intermediate theends thereof and within vessel 1. The roller 4 is coaxial with shaft 2and is of rather substantial length, occupying most of the spaceavailable within vessel 1, along the chordal axis of shaft 2.

The vessel 1 has both a substantial length and a substantial diameter.At a location spaced some distance along the length of vessel 1 (towardthe right-hand end thereof) from shaft 2, a transversely-extending shaft5, whose axis is located in the same horizontal plane as the axis ofshaft 2, is journaled for rotation at its two opposite ends in the wallof the vessel, as by means of bearing assemblies such as 6 which aresimilar to assemblies 3 and which rotatably support shaft and alsoprovide shaft seals. One end of shaft 5 may extend outwardly as at 5abeyond the cylindrical wall of vessel 1. A cylindrical roller 7, similarto roller 4, is fixedly secured to shaft 5, coaxially thereof and withinvessel 1. It Will be realized, from the foregoing, that roller 7 issubstantially parallel to roller 4, and the axes of both shafts 2 and 5are substantially horizontal.

A conventional source of motive power, for example an electric motor(not shown) operating through an appropriate gear reducer (also notshown), is suitably coupled to the outer ends of one or both of therespective shafts 2 and 5, to rotate these shafts at an appropriate rateof speed. Preferably, the driving arrangement for these shafts isprovided with a speed adjustment means. As will be understood, rollers 4and 7 will rotate at the same rate when the motive power source isenergized.

A rather wide flat endless metallic feed belt 8, made of stainless steelfor example, whose width is approximately equal to the length of rollers4 and 7, passes over these rollers and is driven thereby in thedirection indicated by arrow 9, such that the upper side of this beltmoves from roller 4 to roller 7.

The near or left-hand end of vessel 1 may be termed the entrance end ofthe vessel. At this end of the vessel, adjacent roller 4, avertically-positioned short pipe or conduit 10 is sealed through the topof vessel 1, this pipe having at its upper end a flange 11 by means ofwhich it may be coupled to a supply pipe 12 (schematically illustratedin FIG. 1B). A fan-shaped distributor member 13 (which may be likened toan upside-down or upended funnel) has its narrow upper end coupled tothe inner or lower end of pipe 10, inside vessel 1, and has at its lowerwide or fan end an opening which is spaced just slightly above the uppersurface of belt 8. The width of the opening at the lower or fan end ofmember 13 (measured parallel to the width of the belt, or at 90 to thedirection of travel of the belt) is substantially equal to the width ofthe belt, and the length dimension of the opening at the fan end ofmember 13 (measured parallel to the direction of travel of the belt) israther small.

Hot particulate solid material supplied to hot sand inlet pipe 10 (byway of example, this material may be hot clean sand, as will bedescribed subsequently) flows downwardly by gravity through member 13,and is constrained or guided by this latter member to be distributedover substantially the entire width of the upper surface of belt 8. Thatis to Gay, as belt 8 moves in the direction 9, the member 13 lays downcontinuously on the bare belt, over substantially the entire width ofthe upper surface thereof, a layer of hot particulate solid material(assuming, of course, that sufficient material is supplied in acontinuous manner to inlet pipe 10) At a location slightly beyond (inthe direction of travel 9 of belt 8) pipe 10, a vertically-extendingnozzle member 14 is sealed into the top of the vessel 1. Nozzle 14, likethe opening at the lower end of member 13, has an effective widthsubstantially equal to the width of belt 8, and a rather small lengthdimension. The lower open end of nozzle 14 terminatesat and is sealedinto a hole in the cylindrical wall of vessel 1, so it can be said thatthe lower end of the nozzle terminates at such wall. Thus, the lower endof nozzle 14 is cut along an arc which matches that of the cylindricalwall of vessel 1, and the lower end of this nozzle communicates with theinterior of the vessel. It will be noted that the lower open end ofnozzle 14 is located some distance above the upper surface of belt 8.

The upper end of nozzle 14 is flanged at 23 to provide a coupling meansfor this nozzle, and this flange is fastened to a similar flange 15provided at the lower end of a vertically-extending chute 16. Thecross-section of chute 16 is preferably the same as that of nozzle 14.At the upper end of chute 16, an inclined platform 17 is fastened to thechute, and a vibrating spreader 18 of known type is mounted aboveplatform 17 to feed material into the upper end of chute 16. Platform 17is inclined downwardly toward chute 16. Spreader 18 is of encloseddesign, and is driven by a vibratory driving mechanism of conventionaltype in such a manner that a solid particle tending to travel downwardlyas at 22 along the inclined floor 19 will actually be caused to travelin the zigzag path indicated at 20. The fresh raw material to be treated(for example, oil-bearing sand) is fed vertically into one end of thespreader 18, as indicated by arrows 21, from a controlled feed chute(not shown), and drops onto the upper end of floor 19. The lower end ofthe spreader floor is located substantially directly above the upper endof chute 16, and this floor is above platform 17. The subdividedparticulate solid material entering the spreader 18 at 21 travelsdownwardly in zigzag fashion along floor 19 toward chute 16, asindicated at 20, and as it does so, is spread out or dispersed (as aresult of the action of spreader 18) substantially uniformly over theentire width of floor 19. This results in the establishment of a thinsheet of fresh raw material which drops off the lower end of floor 19into the upper end of chute 16. Of course, the aforementioned sheet ofmaterial is actually composed, collective ly, of individual particles ofthe subdivided solid material fed at 21 into spreader 18.

The sheet of material dropping off the lower end of spreader floor 19enters the upper end of chute 16, and moves downwardly by gravitythrough this chute and through nozzle 14, to the lower end of thelatter. As previously mentioned, the lower end of nozzle 14 iscoextensive with a portion of the cylindrical wall of hollow vessel 1,this portion being located at the top of the vessel. The sheet-likestream of fresh raw (particulate solid) material leaving the lower endof nozzle 14 drops in freefall fashion (as indicated by arrows 24) ontothe upper surface of belt 8 as the latter travels in the direction 9.Since nozzle 14 is located beyond distributor member 13 (referring tothe direction of travel 9 of the belt), the sheet-like stream of freshraw material will be dropped onto feed belt 8 in superposed relation tothe layer of hot solid material already deposited thereon via feed pipe10 and distributor member 13.

In order to prevent the loss of hydrocarbon vapors (valuable product)from vessel 1 via nozzle 14, stream is supplied from a suitable sourceto a plurality of apertures 26 provided in nozzle 14, to provide ineffect a sealing blanket of steam within the nozzle, through whichblanket the stream of raw material moves downwardly into vessel 1.

Distributor member 13 is at all times maintained sufficiently filledwith solid material to provide a choke for preventing the escape ofvapors from vessel 1 outwardly through pipe 10, and also to ensure thatthis material spreads out properly at the lower end of member 12.

Below shaft 5, and approximately in the same vertical plane therewith, atransversely-extending shaft 27 is journaled for rotation at its twoopposite ends in the wall of vessel 1, as by means of bearing assembliessuch as 28 which rotatably support shaft 27 and also provide shaftseals. One end of shaft 27 may extend outwardly as at 27a beyond thecylindrical wall of vessel 1. A cylindrical roller 29 is fixedly securedto shaft 27, coaxially thereof and within vessel 1.

At a location spaced some distance along the length of vessel 1 (towardthe right-hand end thereof) from shaft 27, a transversely-extendingshaft 30, whose axis is located in the same horizontal plane as the axisof shaft 27, is journaled for rotation at its two opopsite ends in thewall of the vessel, as by means of bearing assemblies such as 31 whichare similar to assemblies 28 and which rotatably support shaft 30 andalso provide shaft seals. One end of shaft 30 may extend outwardly as at30a beyond the cylindrical wall of vessel 1. A cylindrical roller 32,similar to roller 29, is fixedly secured to shaft 30, coaxially thereofand within vessel 1. It will be realized, from the foregoing, thatroller 32 is substantially parallel to roller 29, and the axes of bothshafts 27 and 30 are substantially horizontal.

A rather wide flat endless metallic mixing belt 33, made of stainlesssteel for example, whose width is approximately equal to the length ofrollers 29 and 32, passes over these rollers and is driven thereby inthe same direction 9 as belt 8, i.e., the upper side of belt 33 movesfrom roller 29 to roller 32. Mixing belt 33 is positioned sufficientlybelow feed belt 8 so as not to interfere with the movement of thelatter, and is so aligned with feed belt 8 that the solid materialmixture drops off the far or righthand end of belt 8 onto the near orleft-hand end of belt 33.

A separate driving arrangement (which may be similar to the drivingarrangement utilized for the feed belt 8) is provided for mixing belt33, the driving arrangement for belt 33 having its own speed adjustmentmeans. As will be understood, rollers 29 and 32 will both rotate at thesame rate when the motive power source for the shafts 27 and 30 isenergized.

In addition to its longitudinal motion in the direction 9 as previouslyreferred to, mixing belt 33 is caused to execute a vibratory motion in aplane more or less at right angles to the longitudinal direction oftravel of the belt. Thus, this belt is preferably vibrated up and downin a vertical direction, although in some instances it may be vibratedback and forth in a lateral direction, similarly to the spreader floor19 previously described. Any suitable means may be coupled to belt 33 tocause it to vibrate in the manner aforementioned. By way of example, aneccentric cam or roller can be used for this belt, in place of thestraight cylindrical rollers 29 and/or 32. Or, a vibrator of known typecan be mounted under the belt.

The purpose of the vibratory motion of mixing belt 33 is to effect athorough physical mixing together of the particulate material beingmoved by this belt, such that the particles of one type (to wit, thefresh raw sand entering the vessel by way of nozzle 14) becomethoroughly and substantially completely dispersed among and between theparticles of the other type (to wit, the hot solid material entering thevessel through distributor member 13). That is to say, a substantialadmixing and intermixing of the two types of particles takes place as aresult of the vibratory motion of mixing belt 33, such that the twomaterials are in close, direct, and intimate physical contact with eachother by the time they reach the far or right-hand end of this belt (atroller 32). Thus, the raw sand particles are brought into intimatethermal contact with the particles of hot solid material by the time themixture carried by belt 33 reaches the far end thereof.

Below shaft 30, and approximately in the same vertical plane therewith,a transversely-extending shaft 34 is journaled for rotation at its twoopposite ends in the wall of vessel 1, as by means of bearing assembliessuch as 35 which rotatably support shaft 34 and also provide shaftseals. One end of shaft 34 may extend outwardly as at 34a beyond thecylindrical wall of vessel 1. A cylindrical roller "36 is fixedlysecured to shaft 34, coaxially thereof and within vessel 1.

At a location close to the right-hand end of vessel 1, atransversely-extending shaft 37, whose axis is located in the samehorizontal plane as the axis of shaft 34, is journaled for rotation atits two opposite ends in the wall of the vessel, as by means of bearingassemblies such as 38 which are similar to assemblies 35 and whichrotatably support shaft 37 and also provide shaft seals. One end ofshaft 37 may extend outwardly as at 37a beyond the cylindrical wall ofvessel 1. A cylindrical roller 39, similar to roller 36, is fixedlysecured to shaft 37, coaxially thereof and within vessel 1. It will berealized, from the foregoing, that roller 39 is substantially parallelto roller 36, and the axes of both shafts 34 and 37 are substantiallyhorizontal.

A rather wide flat endless metallic reaction belt 40, made of stainlesssteel for example, whose width is approximately equal to the length ofrollers 36 and 39,. passes over these rollers and is driventhereby inthe same direction 9 as belts 8 and 33, i.e., the upper side of belt 40moves from roller 36 to roller 39. Reaction belt 40- is positionedsufficiently below mixing belt 33 so as not to interfere with movementof the latter, and is so aligned with mixing belt 33 that the solidmaterial mixture drops off the far or right-hand end of belt 33 onto thenear or left-hand end of belt 40.

The reaction belt 40 has a substantial length, such as to serve as a(moving) residence platform within vessel 1. Belt 40 is considerablylonger than the feed belt 8 or the mixing belt 33, and belt 40 may, ifnecessary, comprise a plurality or series of vertically-disposed andlongitudinally-aligned shorter belts.

A separate driving arrangement (which may be similar to the drivingarrangements utilized for belts 8 and 33) is provided for reaction belt40, the driving arrangement for belt 40' having its own speed adjustmentmeans. As will be understood, rollers 36 and 39 will both rotate at thesame rate when the motive power source for the shafts 34 and 37 isenergized. The several shaft extensions 2a, Sa, 27a, 30a, 34a, and 37apermit the several driving arrangement to be coupled to the respectiveshafts. The several belts 8, 33, and 40 may be of different widths, dueto their vertically-spaced relationship, transversely of the cylindricalvessel 1. The separate and distinct driving arrangements, each with itsown speed control, provided for the respective belts, enable properfeeding of the material through the vessel despite the differences inbelt widths; also, these driving arrangements permit a wide variation infeed rates during use of the apparatus.

As previously described, the two types of particulate or subdividedsolid material are thoroughly intermixed with each other, and are thusin intimate thermal contact with each other, by the time they reach thenear or lefthand end of belt 40. This mixture of hot solid material andraw sand is moved from left to right in vessel 1 by reaction belt 40.Since the particles of the two types of material are in such intimatethermal contact, a heat exchange takes place therebetween, in which thehot solid material gives up heat to the cooler raw sand. This serves toheat the fresh raw material (tar sand) to a retorting temperaturewherein thermal cracking of the raw tar sand takes place. When the freshraw tar sand reaches a temperature of about 800-l000 F., its kerogencontent is broken down to hydrocarbon vapors. That is to say, the directphysical contact of the two types of particulate material which exists,during their residence time together on reaction belt 40, will causegases to be evolved from the fresh raw tar sand, as a result of theretorting and thermal cracking of the latter. The evolved gases compriseproduct gases (hydrocarbon vapors) which are removed as at 25 from theupper portion of vessel 1, by way of a vapor exit port 41 to which asuitable pipe (not shown) is connected. By means of this last-mentionedpipe, the gaseous products are carried away from vessel 1 for furtherprocessing, such as in a condenser and scrubber (not shown).

The holding or residence time in vessel 1 for fresh raw material (i.e.,the time during which the particles of fresh raw material and of hotspent recycled material are in contact on belt 40) is established by,among other things, the length of this reaction belt between rollers 36and 39 and the speed of travel of the belt. The holding time of thesolids mixture in vessel 1 can be any suitable time, depending upon thetemperature of the hot spent (heating) material which is recycled. Itshould be sufficiently long to ensure adequate removal of vaporizablehydrocarbons from the raw material, but should be short enough to avoidexcessively high equipment and process costs. The direct and intimatecontact between the solid particles in vessel 1, and the consequentrapid heat transfer between the two types of particles, contribute tothe overall efiiciency of the process.

When belt 40 reaches roller 39, the residence time of the solids mixturein vessel 1 is in effect ended. At this time, the raw material travelingthrough vessel 1 has reached a condition (during its cracking) such thatit is not desirable to extract further products from it.

When reaction belt 40 passes over roller 39, all of the material carriedon the upper surface of this belt drops off and falls to the bottom ofthe vessel. This includes both the regenerated material which is beingrecycled through the vessel for heating purposes (and which reaches thevessel via pipe and the fresh raw material (reaching the vessel vianozzle 14) which has been thermally cracked upon one pass through thevessel and has thus become spent.

At the right-hand end of vessel 1, at a location adjacent roller 39, theupper end of a vertically-extending nozzle member 42 is sealed into'thebottom of this vessel. By way of example, nozzle 42 may have the samecrosssection as nozzle 14. The upper open end of nozzle 42 terminates atand is sealed into a (circumferentiallyextending) hole in thecylindrical wall of vessel 1, this end of the nozzle communicating withthe interior of vessel 1 at a location such that the material droppingoff belt 40 at roller 39' falls into the upper end of nozzle 42. Thismaterial then moves downwardly through this nozzle.

The upper end of a short chute member 43 is coupled to the lower end ofnozzle 42, as by means of a flanged coupling arrangement 44. Thecross-section of chute 43 is preferably the same as that of nozzle 42.The lower end of chute 43 is sealed into the side wall of a pipe orconduit 45, at one end thereof. Pipe 45 is located below vessel 1 andextends outwardly or away from vessel 1; purely by way of example (asillustrated), pipe 45 may extend in a direction at right angles to thelongitudinal axis of vessel 1. The material dropping off the belt atroller 39 moves downwardly through nozzle 42 and chute 43 into pipe 45.In order to prevent the loss of hydrocarbon vapors (product) from vessel1 via nozzle 42, steam is supplied from the steam source to a pluralityof apertures 46 provided in nozzle 42, to provide in effect a sealingblanket of steam within this nozzle, through which blanket the exitingmaterial moves downwardly out of vessel 1.

A helical screw conveyer (auguer) 47 is rotatably mounted within pipeand is driven by any conventional source of motive power, such as anelectric motor. The rotating screw conveyer 47 moves the solid materialthrough pipe 45, away from vessel 1.

The solid material exiting at 42 from vessel 1 comprises a mixture ofclean sand (to wit, regenerated material which has been recycled throughvessel 1 to serve as a heating medium) and spent sand (to wit, raw sandwhich has been retorted in vessel 1). The spent sand component orportion of this mixture of solids, though spent insofar as the removalof valuable products therefrom is concerned, nevertheless has acombustible carbonaceous (carbon or coke) deposit or coating or residuethereon, which may be burned off, in a regenerator, to provide heat.This burning heats the material in the regenerator, as well as decokingthe spent sand component thereof, and a portion of this (now clean)material may be recycled through vessel 1 as the hot solid materialwhich provides heat for heating the fresh raw material. It will beappreciated that this hot solid material is recycled through vessel 1 byway of inlet pipe 10 and member 13.

In order to decoke the dirty or coked material, a regenerator (which maybe thought of as a decoking zone) is utilized.

Pipe 45 extends from vessel 1 to a regenerator schematically shown anddenoted generally by numeral 48 (see FIG. 1B). Pipe 45 serves as thefeed pipe for the regenerator, and opens into the upper portion of theregenerator. A coke burner 49, to which air is supplied at 50, serves asthe means for burning the coke deposit off the body of material in theupper part of the regenerator. The coke burner 49 is mounted at thelower end of the regenerator. In the regenerator 48, good contact ofpreferably preheated air with the mixture exiting from reactor 1 (whichis fed to regenerator 48 by means of pipe 45, and is denoted by numeral51) is afforded for a sufficiently long period of time to ensureefiicient combustion of the carbonaceous residue on the coked portion ofthis mixture, so as to produce the desired hot decoked solids.

Gases produced during burning of hydrocarbons from the spent sandcomponent of the material in regenerator 48 can be passed into a cyclone52, for separation of entrained fines therefrom, which fines can then bereturned to regenerator 48 through a line 53. The gases flowing from thecyclone 52 through line 54 can pass into a surge chamber 55 and then canbe vented from the system in the form of flue gas, as by line 56.

A portion of the spent solids from vessel 1 is disposed of as waste.This portion passes from coke burner 49 through a cooler 57 and thenceout of this cooler by way of a line 58, which leads to waste storage.

The regenerator 48 may be started up by introducing liquid or gas fuelinto the combustion zone, as by means of a line 59. For start-up,material would be fed through the reactor 1 and the regenerator 48 justas if the carbon or coke deposit were burning in the decoking zone orregenerator. Then, a fire would be lit in the regenerator (using thefuel supplied at 59) by a procedure similar to firing up a boiler. Oncethe reactor has started producing gas of its own (at 25), the outsidesource of fuel could be closed off and the regenerator would burn theproducts of the reactor, this continuing until the regenerator has comeup to operating temperature. Then, the regenerator would operate on theresidual carbon or coke deposits on the spent sand portion of thereactor exiting mixture, in the manner described above.

As previously described, the exiting solids mixture continuously passesout of the exit end of the reactor 1 (which end, of course, is that atwhich roller 39 is located) to regenerator 48, by way of pipe 45. In theregenerator or decoking zone 48, the coked or dirty portion of theexiting solids mixture is continuously decoked by burning thecarbonaceous residue in contact with air (supplied at 50), the materialin the regenerator being heated to 1200 F. by such burning.

A more or less conventional steam stripping arrangement, shownschematically at 60, is provided in regenerator 48, for the purpose ofabstracting from the regenerator some of the hot clean solids forrecycling to the reactor 1; it will be remembered that the remainder ofthe clean solids are disposed of as waste. The hot, entirely cleansolids stripped out of the decoking zone at 60 pass downwardly throughan inclined pipe 61 into the upper end of a hopper 62. From hopper 62,the hot clean material, entirely decoked, is fed by means of a supplypipe 12 (schematically illustrated in FIG. 1B) to hot sand inlet pipe ofthe reactor 1. Pipe 12 has at its end remote from hopper 62 a flange(not shown) which is coupled to flange 11 on inlet pipe 10. The hotclean material (hot solids) may be fed through pipe 12, using steam asthe motive fluid to move this material upwardly to flange 11 and inletpipe 10; such a steammotived arrangement is a well-known practice influid catalytic crackers (for moving the regenerated catalyst).

Preferably, a throttle valve (not shown) is provided in line 12, forregulating the relative amounts of raw sand and recycled hot sand fed toreactor 1.

As previously stated, the material in regenerator 48 is heated to 1200F. by burning of the carbonaceous residue (i.e., decoking) in theregenerator. A portion of the clean hot solids is stripped out at 60,and fed as recycle (by way of pipe 61, hopper 62, and pipe 12) to thereactor 1 for use in heating the fresh raw tar sand continuously passinginto the reactor by way of nozzle 14. That is to say, the coke-free hotsolids which flow in the previously-mentioned path are recycled and usedfor heating the fresh raw material in reactor 1; the said hot solids(hot sands) are deposited as a layer on feed belt 8 by means ofdistributor member 13. As previously described, fresh raw material (tarsand) is deposited on belt 8 in superposed relation to the layer of hotsolid (coke-free, recycled) material on this belt, followed by mixing ofthe two solids by belt 33, and so on.

The invention claimed is:

1. Apparatus for continuously treating carbonaceous solid material suchas tar sand and the like, comprising an elongate vessel, an endlesspaltform belt passing over a pair of rollers one of which is locatednear one end of said vessel and the other of which is located at theother end thereof, a feed belt mounted in said vessel for movement fromsaid one end thereof toward said other end thereof, a vibratory mixingbelt mounted in said vessel for movement from a location near said oneend thereof toward said other end thereof and interposed between saidplatform belt and said feed belt, said mixing belt being arranged toreceive, at one end thereof, solid material leaving said feed belt andto feed a mixture of solids from its other end onto said platform belt;first means at said one end of said vessel for feeding hot particulatesolid material onto said feed belt, second means at said one end of saidvessel for feeding relatively cool particulate solid material which isto be treated onto said feed belt in superposed relation to said hotsolid material, means associated with said second feeding means forproviding a sealing blanket of steam through which the material to betreated moves on its Way toward said feed belt, said mixing belt actingto bring the particles of the hot material and the particles of therelatively cool material into intimate physical and thermal contact witheach other; means for removing vapors from said vessel, means at saidother end of said vessel for abstracting from said vessel solid materialwhich has been moved to such end by said platform belt, means associatedwith said abstracting means for providing a sealing blanket of steamthrough which the abstracted material moves on its Way out of saidvessel, 21 regenerator coupled to said abstracting means for receivingabstracted solid material therefrom and for burning a combustiblecarbonaceous deposit present on such abstracted material, such burningserving to heat the abstracted solid material; and means coupled to theoutlet of said regenerator for supplying the heated material to saidfirst feeding means, to provide the hot particulate solid material forfeeding into said feed belt.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second feeding meansincludes a vibrating spreader to which the solid material to be treatedis supplied, and a chute receptive of material from said spreader andadapted to convey such material to said feed belt, the first-mentionedsealing blanket of steam being provided in said chute.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first feeding meansincludes an inverted funnel-shaped member receptive of said hotparticulate solid material and overlying said feed belt.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, where in said abstracting meansincludes an elongated nozzle member sealed into the wall of said vesselat said other end thereof and receptive of solid material dropping offof said platform belt, the second-mentioned sealing blanket of steambeing provided in said nozzle member.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the coupling between saidabstracting means and said regenerator includes a screw conveyor forconveying solid material from said abstracting means to saidregenerator.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,698,345 1/1929 Puening 202-1171,952,363 3/1934 Bunce et al 2021l7 2,621,151 12/1952 Carlsson et a1202117 2,905,595 9/1959 Berg 208-11 2,983,653 5/1961 Danulat et al 20133FOREIGN PATENTS 129,758 7/1919 Great Britain.

71,711 4/1931 Sweden.

NORMAN YUDKOFF, Primary Examiner.

DAVID EDWARDS, Assistant Examiner.

US. 01. X.R.

